NC State basketball’s inconsistency shows up in positive — and negative — ways at Kansas
N.C. State has never been afraid to play tough competition, but going 0 of 4 against the Power Four teams in nonconference play wasn’t on the team’s bingo card. And there aren’t any other opportunities against major programs before ACC play.
After the Wolfpack’s 75-60 loss at Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday, there aren’t any more opportunities to face a Top-50 team before conference play starts. Head coach Kevin Keatts said he’s OK with that, because these games still reveal what must be done for a strong run through the league schedule.
Now, with one smaller nonconference game left, that leaves the Pack with one focus: continue its work to become more consistent. Consistency has been the biggest issue in the first half of the season.
“I want guys to be consistent,” Keatts said last week after beating Florida State. “The toughest thing for a coach is to come into a game and not know what you’re getting from a player.”
The inconsistency and uncertainties were on full display in Lawrence.
Point guard Michael O’Connell continues his slump. Though he wasn’t expected to be the primary scorer, he’s only hit double digits twice this season and was held to three combined points against Coppin State and Kansas.
He shot one 3 that was so off target, the Kansas students chanted “airball” every time he even took possession of the ball.
O’Connell ranked No. 2 in the NCAA for assist-to-turnover ratio before the game against Texas. He had 30 assists and four turnovers (7.50) through the first seven games. His ability to distribute the ball cleanly has dwindled in the last week and a half. The graduate student finished with one assist and two turnovers against the Jayhawks. In the last four games, he’s dished out 13 dimes and committed eight turnovers.
Jayden Taylor’s scoring totals, when put on a graph, look kind of like a wave. He contributed at least 15 points in four games this season, three of which were against Power Four opponents. But the senior guard has also finished below 10 points in five outings. He had three against Coppin State, which is statistically one of the worst teams in Division I.
Then there’s the duo of Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and Ben Middlebrooks. They combined for 26 points, both scoring in double figures, 11 rebounds, four assists and two steals apiece against the Jayhawks. They were particularly effective in the second half, scoring 15 points after the break and recording three of their four steals, which included swatting passes to create Kansas turnovers.
Kansas head coach Bill Self credited Keatts’ decision to play both bigs, which helped the Wolfpack stay in the game for most of the afternoon. Meanwhile, Keatts said he thought there were a few stretches where his two bigs were the best players on the court.
“It gave us a glimpse of what we can do if we play those guys together,” Keatts said. “This game right here will prepare us for every road game that we play in the ACC.”
“I don’t think there’s a lot of teams that are gonna be able to compete with that,” Middlebrooks added. “Obviously, it was a great matchup tonight. We were able to do our thing. I’m proud of Brandon. He played really well, especially in that second half. We’re just gonna try and keep growing from that.”
Except Huntley-Hatfield and Middlebrooks haven’t always been that effective.
Huntley-Hatfield started the season with six games of 10 points or more. He was held to four or fewer in three of the last five, including zero against Coppin State. The Louisville transfer scored 12 points, pulled down three rebounds and dished out a trio of assists Saturday.
“I just wanted to come in and not drop another game, not be a detriment to my team,” Huntley-Hatfield said. “I realized how much work I put in and how good of a player I am. I just wanted to come here, make sure I’m being aggressive and bring a lot of energy.”
Middlebrooks has been in a similar situation. The senior has scored in double figures two games in a row but has also been held under five points in four contests. His eight rebounds are the second-highest total of the season. His lowest games were against Coastal Carolina (0) and Presbyterian (1).
The team isn’t concerned yet, especially because these games have shown what should be built on and exposed weaknesses that need correction.
“They were a pretty good team, and we’re up there with the best of the best,” Huntley-Hatfield added. “We’ve just got to figure out how to finish games and how to take care of the right players; take care of the good players on our team.”
What will it take to get the imperfections fixed and maintain the positives? Middlebrooks, Huntley-Hatfield and Keatts all say time and more work. The team will keep practicing, watching film, learning one another’s habits and contributing without scoring. The squad is still learning how to play together, so despite what the comments on social media posts say, there’s no panic in the locker room.
That’s what will carry it through the rest of the season. Self, after coaching against the Wolfpack, even thinks there’s promise.
“I think Kevin’s great. Of course their run last year was probably a little unexpected, but it’s kind of a typical N.C. State, 1983-type run,” Self said. “They’ve got good athletes. They’ll have a good year, without question. We hope they have a good year.”
